Mass Effect: The Cold War
by DivineEmperorMeiji
Summary: This is not a story to be taken overly serious, its an alternate universe with a mild Phantasy Star crossover. Reader discretion is advised. Details the progress of the Confederate Systems Alliance, from Humanity's first meeting with an alien race to the War of Citadel Agression. Rewrite complete of the first chapter to the best of my ability.
1. Chapter 1: Timeline

Mass Effect The Cold War

In innumerable ages past, Long before the Reaper Cycles, the Milky Way was visited by beings of a vast power. These beings, these Celestials, or whatever you wish to call them, decided it would be "Fun" to rearrange the galaxy a little bit. This tinkering with the stars would later end up having major consequences for sentient life. Aeons later, another race of powerful, but much more mundane, beings created the first real AI. Soon, frictions began to arise, so these beings built another AI. They tasked this AI with finding a solution to the Synthetic-Organic frictions. The AI did this, in the most horrifying way possible. Thus the Reaper Cycles began, and for innumerable ages the galaxy was bled dry of its most advanced races: All according to Plan.

_2040's: Unification Wars on Earth, United Nations victorious over various Third and Second World dissenters. Reorganization of UN to better reflect the new formed Unity._  
_2050: Humanity finds Prothean ruins on Mars. Aside from references to something called the Catalyst nothing is really found._  
_2051: Humanity makes first contact with a small ship from a race called the Neudaiz. Over the next several months the Neudaiz and the Humans try their level best to reach an understanding._  
_2055: Humanity enters into an alliance with the Neudaiz. Soon both races are out exploring the galaxy, colonizing like no tomorrow. Exploration beyond the Gap of Pluto is still impossible, for reasons unknown._  
_2057: Scout ships make contact with yet another race, the Bestar, furred humanoids with limited shape shifting ability. After much debate First Contact is initiated, this time with much more friction than previously, but in the end a new member for the Human-Neudaiz alliance is gained._  
_2076: Planet Rannoch discovered, Quarians, the highly advanced natives of the planet, join the Triple Alliance along with their servants the Geth later this year._  
_2098: The Confederate Systems Alliance is formally formed, with is capitol on Earth. Start of the Great Expanssion Era._  
_2170: Late this year the C.A.S.T. Project is begun._  
_2200: The First Cast created, more are soon built to help their organic masters._  
_2275: The Endrum Collective, a group of humans seeking eternal life perfect the Mind Upload technology. They soon abandon their weak and old organic bodies._  
_2276: Cast Uprising, unknown to the general public the Endrum Collective has gathered arms for over seventy years in preparation for ruling the Confederacy. End of Great Expansion Era_  
_2376: After one hundred years and billions dead the last members of the Endrum Collective are found and destroyed._  
_2476: Centennial Peace Celebrations all over Confederate Space._  
_2478: Charon, the moon of Pluto, is discovered to be a large structure encased in ice. The Charon Relay is activated and a scout ship sent through. Plans to establish a forward outpost in the new system beyond the Gap are immediately put into motion._  
_2481: The new Arcturus Guardian Station is built to facilitate exploration and expansion Beyond the Gap of Pluto. Worrying amounts of ruins are found with evidence of Orbital Bombardment inflicted on many planets._  
_2502: a Jump Gate is Established in the Shanxi system, eliminating the need for the Charon relay when transporting ships and personnel to and from the colonies in the Expansion Region. Also in this year the first A-Photon reactors are tested and found to be up to twenty times more powerful and efficient than regular photon reactors._  
_2574: The Shepard is born. The Divine Maiden declares a great destiny in the young girls future._  
_2576: Centennial Peace Celebrations shattered with the onset of the War of Citadel Aggression._  
_2577: War of Citadel Aggression brought to an end. Beginning of the Cold War with Confederate refusal to join Citadel or share technology as well as refusing to destroy the synthetic members (Geth and Casts). Confederacy agrees to limit dreadnaughts as to Citadel standards, this is done on the grounds that Confederate high command deems Dreadnaughts "Awesome, but Impractical". Confederate Embassy opens in the Citadel. The confederate ambassador notes a disturbing lack of original thought amongst council races, as if they have been groomed towards a specific purpose._  
_2583: The Normandy Project is begun, a joint Citadel-Confederate peace keeping venture, in an effort to warm relations between the citadel and the confederacy. The Normandy promises early on to become one of the most advanced ships ever built..._  
_2589: The Guardian Corp founded in the Confederacy as a trans-species security and rescue service. James Shepard becomes one of its first members. The Shepard is found to be strong in TECHNICS and is given a future place at the finest TECHNIC academy on Neudaiz. The Divine Maiden Fierra dies and is reborn as Mirie Mikuna. Of great notice is the fact that for the first time a twin is born._

_Codex Entries: Cold War_  
_Gap of Pluto_  
_The Gap of Pluto is a vast, seemingly impassable, stretch of dark space separating Confederate and Citadel space. Theorized to be the result of Stellar Engineering by some vastly powerful beings when the stars were young._  
_Jump Gate_  
_Jump Gates are to the confederacy what Mass Relays are to the Citadel, a way for traveling great distances almost instantly. Jump Gates are faster, but much more fragile, than Mass Relays. This could change in the future if Confederate scientists could ever figure out what the hell Mass Relays are made of. The science behind these gates is a closely guarded secret. (think Super Gates from the Stargate SG-1 series)_  
_A-Photon_  
_A-Photons are the more advanced and powerful version of standard photons, when used in Reactors they're able to power entire space stations for eternity. Used on ships to power Linear Shields, giving the shields the staying power to duke it out with Mass Accelerator guns, such as the ones found on Citadel vessels._  
_Linear Shields_  
_The Standard shielding on Confederate vessels, though initially found too weak to stop the mass accelerator guns of the Batarians recent development into A-Photons have increased their stopping power by almost 5000%. Due to current political situation its unknown if this increase is enough._  
_Particle Weapons_  
_Particle Energy Weapons are used by the Confederate Armed Forces. Being pure energy they completely ignore all shields except Linear Shields and other such energy shields. Though not avaliable for commercial sale some Particle Magnums have found their way into the hands of Spectres venturing to the Arcturus Station._  
_Confederate Systems Alliance_  
_The Confederacy is the governing body of the Humans, the Neudaiz, the Bestar, the Casts, the Quarians and the Geth. The confederacy is in complete control of the Slice as well as a few systems bordering Citadel Space. The CSA is currently in a state of Cold War with the Citadel._  
_Neudaiz_  
_Neudaiz is both the name of one of Humanity's oldest and most faithful allies and the name of their home planet. The Planet Neudaiz is covered to 90% with water with islands scattered all over, a planet sized archipelago if you will. Humans have often wondered how a species spread over such distances could possibly unite, a leading theory being the Neudaiz complete lack of the very concept of war prior to meeting humans._  
_As a people the Neudaiz value peace and quiet, pursuing the arts and sciences the universe has to offer rather than war. Physically they greatly resemble humans, the only real difference being their extremely pointed ears (a trait that has earned them the term Space Elves by racists), they tend to be slightly shorter taller than humans, their complexion is pale and they tend to have bright hair colors (ranging from White to Sky Blue and everything in between) with darker colors being rare. Neudaiz live for about 250 years, seemingly never aging past the age of 16 until they hit their final decade, when rapid aging sets in. An interesting note made by the Asari is the fact that Neudaiz find Melding to be extremely painful, no one knows why._  
_Moatoob_  
_Moatoob is the home world of the fierce Bestar, where loyalty to your clan and allies are the way of life. The planet is rich in minerals and ores, and it is upon this the Bestar have built their wealth. Moatoobs climate is arid, except during the Rain season, a period of constant rain. The inhabitants live in vast underground cities to protect themselves from their harsh sun._  
_Rannoch_  
_Rannoch, an arid planet orbiting an older star in the Tikkun system, is the quarian homeworld. During the Cast Uprising the Geth refusal to join the Endrum Collective made Rannoch something of a personal matter for the leaders of the Collective. As a result, some of the heaviest combat took place here. The geth act as caretakers, working to repair the planet's ecology, restore ancient structures, and cultivate some farmland. Rannoch has no insect life. As a result, its pollinating plants evolved to rely on animals for propagation. This symbiosis between flora and fauna is responsible for the quarians' weakened immune systems_  
_Bestar_  
_The Bestar are a furred race of humanoids from the desert planet Moatoob. They are strong, fierce in battle, and loyal beyond reproach. They are quick to anger but just as quick to forgive. Blessed with limited shape changing abilities Bestar excel at scouting and ranging far ahead of the main army. They're even able to take on Krogans three on one when in Beast mode, a trait that has made them highly sought after as mercenaries within citadel space. The lifespan of a Bestar is relatively short, they're considered very old at 50 years and usually die at around 60. Unlike many races they retain their strength their whole life._  
_Humans_  
_Humankind, Humanity, Terrans. Humans are the driving force within the Confederacy, standing at the forefront of pretty much everything from politics to military to commercial matters, they routinely break the established norms around them, constantly pushing boundaries of what's possible. There is a general fear within some circles of Citadel Races that humanity is pushing for renewed combat with the Citadel, though these have so far turned out to be entirely baseless rumors. Lives around 120 years though there are records of humans living to around 150._  
_Quarians_  
_The Quarians, from Rannoch, are amongst the greatest engineers in the confederacy, excelling in creating Starships. Generally they themselves consider the Geth as their greatest creations._  
_Cast_  
_Casts, the heavy hitters of the Confederacy, are a sentient race of machines originally created to aid in manual labor many thousands of them were subverted by the Endrum Collective during the Cast Uprising. Being artificial they have no need for a planet of their own, though they do control some asteroid bases through out Confederate space. They have no representative on the Board of Directors, nor do they desire to._  
_Geth_

_Geth, the first Synthetic life within the Confederacy, these were built by the Quarians for the same reasons as the later Casts: Aid in manual Labour and making life generally easier for their organic masters. During the Cast Uprising, known to the Geth as the Morning War, the Geth did all they could to defend the Quarians, nearly wiping all of them out. They have no representative on the Board of Directors, nor do they desire to._  
_Gurhal Commune_  
_The Gurhal Commune is the leading religion both on Neudaiz and on the Bestar homeworld of Moatoob, as well as being a major religion amongst the humans. Centered around a religious figurehead known only as the Divine Maiden, whom, according to legend, is always reborn at the time of her death. The current maiden is the only one in recorded history to have a twin, the reasons for this are unknown but theories are many._

_Normandy Project_  
_A Joint Citadel-Confederate peace effort aimed at building the single most advanced ship in the galaxy._

AN: Holy Mohlee, I didn't think I was going to get even ONE fav or follow and then I end up getting like, fifty. What on earth? As always, PM me if you think I should add something or if you yourself desire to write a fic based inside the Cold War Universe. There probably won't be anymore written on this timeline, so from now on there will probably just be a bunch of One Shots set within this universe. Don't expect a steady update rate.


	2. Chapter 2: Essay

Relay 314 Incident/War of Citadel Aggression

_"This just in, it appears a Turian patrol fleet has encountered a new species of aliens attempting to activate Relay 314. The commander of the fleet assures me they will have the situation dealt with swiftly. More on this as it breaks." Asari news anchor, start of the War._  
On April 23rd 2576 the seventh expeditionary fleet, heading from Shanxi towards a new system, encountered a new alien species. The encounter was breif and extremely hostile, ending in the complete destruction of the Confederate fleet and the beginning of the War of Citadel Aggression. The Aliens, later known as Turians, traced the confederate fleets vectors towards Shanxi and, following Citadel Law regarding activation of mass relays, launched a strike. Arriving at Shanxi, the Turians found not some backwater new alien species to be taken into the hierarchy, like had happened a few times before already, but rather they found a galactic powerhouse, fully capable of rivaling the Citadel Races. Forced into retreat the Turians called for reinforcements, the Confederates launching a counterstrike of their own. More and more fleets from both sides got involved. The confederates, having enjoyed almost two hundred years of peace since the Cast Uprising, swiftly put their production towards military matters. The Turians and the rest of the Citadel, having lived in general peace for thousands of years, were much slower to respond. Initially thinking the confederates were just some backwater species they failed to take the situation seriously, giving the confederates several early victories. One such victory, the Second battle of Relay 314, resulted in a complete rout of the Citadel fleet sent to "Contain the Upstarts" as the words went amongst the council races. Soon, however, the confederate advance stalled, military losses became harder to replace with each victory. The citadel faced a similar situation, and soon a stalemate occurred. This stalemate was broken by the Turian attack on Carida, a system of great strategic importance recently taken by Confederate forces. While the confederate fleet in orbit was defeated swiftly, the ground forces held out much longer. Finding their ground based foe dug in and waiting for them the Turians and their Auxiliary forces were hard pressed, indeed fighting on Carida would last for much of the war until the Treaty of the Citadel finally brought peace. Afterwards saying "I Was on Carida" would be a bad ass boast on both sides. As the front line rolled back and forth in the open, another type of war was waged behind the curtains, Confederate Special Intelligence Service against Citadel Spectres and Salarian STG operatives. Eventually CSIS gained a vital breakthrough, enabling a direct strike against the very heart of their tenacious Foes: The Citadel Itself. The Citadel Strike was masked by several other feints and strikes all along the front, drawing forces away from the Citadel itself, culminating in the Ninth Confederate Fleet, led by Admiral Zorah, launching an all out strike. Amidst the panic of finding a large enemy fleet right on their doorstep C-Sec failed to noticed the small strike crafts, until it was too late. While fighting valiantly, and let it never be said that C-Sec are cowards, lack of proper military hardware and fighting foes the felt no pain, able to hack their cyber hardware, and able to transform into horrendous beasts C-Sec soon found itself beaten back. Although local Spectres were able to regain some ground the enemy forces were simply too numerous. Thus were the Councillors forced to the negotiation table, the peace which would be signed one week after the Battle for the Citadel, would not be in favor for the Council. It had been the Councillors hope to force a favorable truce, perhaps even bring the newcomers as the latest citadel race. All of these hopes were dashed, the Confederate ambassadors having little to no interest in joining.

Jane Sheppard surveyed her essay with a critical eye and a frown. Perhaps choosing the War of Citadel Aggression as her project hadn't been all that good... Finding unbiased information that didn't blame either side had been stupidly hard. Her mother had said it was the fault of several. The Turians were at fault for not warning about the breach of Citadel Law in the first place. The Asari were guilty of wanting to force a favorable outcome that would strengthen all council races. The Salarians were more interested in obtaining Tech rather than fighting the foe, though granted the war was already well underway before their fighting style could be properly utilized. Meanwhile the confederates were guilty of greatly overstepping its boundaries, though lately it was called a Show of Force, telling the rest of the Galaxy not to mess with them... The resultant Cold War had made a lot of people unhappy, resentment running high on both sides. Every now and then there would be a news report about some border skirmish, lately Batarian pirates had taken to raiding Confederate space... And the Citadel refused to take action. Using the pirate raids to weaken the confederacy some said. Yawning Jane decided to look for more information tomorrow, now it was time to sleep.

AN: Maybe not very good, but its the best I could make. Then again, this is meant to be taken as a sort of In-Universe document written by The Sheppard at a young age, its also meant to show some of her thoughts, for example her desire to be as unbiased as possible in regards to the war and stuff... Sorry, Rambling. As always, PM if you want something added to the Cold War Universe, or don't.


End file.
